Garage fire on Brinston Road

“You, Max, are the icon of generosity,” said  executive board member Doug Grenkie, thanking guest speaker, Max Keeping, following the September 21 meeting of the Canadian Club of Morrisburg and District.

Recently retired after over three decades as anchor of CTV/CJOH television in eastern Ontario and long time community supporter and activist, Keeping shared his views of giving, of the importance of community and of the role of the media in the community. His Newfoundland sense of humour always at the forefront, Keeping delivered an inspirational and thoughtful message.

He recalled how essential a station like CJOH has been to the eastern Ontario community, bringing people together through distinctive local productions and shows that reflect rural values and strengths. He was proud that New Faces, Regional Contact, and even the off-the-wall show, You Can’t Do That on Television, are remembered and honoured for their hometown spirit. They showcased the interesting places and people that mattered to eastern Ontario communities.

“In the 1960s,” Keeping said, “when I was just starting out, Ernest L. Bushnell was the new owner of CJOH TV. I remember him saying ‘This station must exist to do more than just make me money.’ He felt that his station had to be of service and benefit to the community.”

Keeping followed that philosophy throughout his on air career, actively promoting and supporting fund raisers, funding drives and community campaigns for nearly 40 years, including his work for CHEO, raising millions of dollars for sick children during telethons.

“In this wonderful and exciting new world of technology, our definition of neigbour is going to change. My neigbours used to be anyone four miles away. Now a neighbour can mean someone 8,000 miles away. The ability to net work and to bring people together on line in a good cause is a characteristic of young people today. They still cherish our fundamental values, but they plan to use technology to remake the world.”

Although he values and supports the new technical approaches to community involvement and fund raising, Keeping shared anedotes about the “good old days” on the  CJOH TV, when there was a push to get right out into the community to broadcast.

“Once, on a four nights run of a show called Hometown Tours, we decided in one town that it would be a great idea to put J.J. Clark, the weatherman, out into the river to deliver his report,” Keeping laughed.

“With more than a minute and a half to go in the report, J.J. suddenly threw the live mike back at me and I had to cover. When I asked him why later, he indignantly replied that the current was so strong, it was pulling him under. “I was drowning!”

Another time I talked him into making his weather broadcast from atop a live elephant. Suddenly the beast took off with J.J. trapped. We used to put him into all kinds of predicaments. I don’t think,” Keeping laughed, “that J.J. really minded when I left.”

He praised the efforts of the public service employees, of individuals and service groups and ordinary people for their generosity to others.

“Throughout my long career, I have learned to recognize and value the act of giving,” Keeping concluded.

“You receive so much more when you give. You of rural Canada have set the bar high in generosity to others: we in the cities must strive to meet that same bar.”

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It should be no surprise to anyone that there is an acute shortage of affordable housing in SDG. The past five years – and especially the last two years of the pandemic – have seen […]

The Morrisburg Pentecostal Tabernacle’s Reverend Duncan Perry and wife Sandra, will be heading to Africa on October 12th along with 14 volunteers from other Pentecostal Churches.

According to Perry, this particular trip was organized by Sandra Gill, the Women’s Ministries Director for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.

He told the Leader that Gill “has done several of these trips (and she) does them once or twice a year.”

Gill is the one responsible for bringing Perry and his wife together with the other 14 travelers, of which there are five couples and four women traveling solo.

Perry shared that  going on a mission has been “something (he’s) wanted to do for a number of years.”

He “likes exposing people to missions.”

“Our congregation is very mission minded. We give a fair chunk of change to missions every year.”

Perry’s group will be heading for the Villages of Hope (VOH) – Malawi in Lilongwe where, according to the VOH website, “over one million children (age 0 – 17) have become orphaned” as of 2009.

Perry said that HIV/AIDS is responsible for the large numbers of orphaned children.

Malawi, also known as the “warm heart of Africa,” is a country in the southeast of Africa bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique.

The VOH “provides the children of Malawi with food, shelter, health services, and education.”

To go on this mission, the group was expected to raise $6,000 and Perry says they’ve actually raised $10,000, so they will “be able to do more than (they had) anticipated.”

Perry told the Leader that there are “no administration fees” and that “all” of the money will go straight toward helping the children of Malawi.

In addition to money, Perry and his group will be taking along things like clothes, tools, food, and even Tim Horton’s coffee.

While there, they will be doing a host of different things including house repairs due to termite damage, painting, windows, installing new screens, and fixing playground structures.

In addition, the women will be working in the schools and ministering to the women of Malawi.

At present, Perry says there are “about twelve missionaries” in Africa. “One, (a woman from Ottawa), is in a very remote part of Kenya.” He says “she hardly ever sees anybody.”

Perry has tremendous respect for those full-time missionaries who volunteer for these stations, saying  they’re “the heart of God. They’re amazing people.”

As for Perry himself, he says that this trip is “going to be an eye-opener.” He believes that his “outlook on life is going to be drastically changed.”

He even talked of doing missions once or twice a year following retirement.

Perry explained that while this trip happened to be planned for Africa, it just as easily could have been  planned for one of a number of other mission countries, like India or El Salvador for example. He shared his wish to do mission work in India.

To get ready for this trip, the group had to be immunized against yellow fever, typhoid, Hepatitis A and B. In addition, they will have to take malaria pills and “travelers diet” pills while there.

The group will arrive back in Canada on October 28th.

Perry promises to take lots of pictures to share upon his return.

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